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mamdias
Contributor
Contributor

Newbie question for ESXI network config

Hi,

We have setup and ESXI 6.5 server in our development environment, and it works great to run different VMs.

Since the ESXI server is connected to our router (provides DHCP), our VMs acquire automatic IP addresses and connect directly to the web.

Now, we need to setup a new ESXI in a hosting environment, and our provider has given us 1 fixed IP.

After we installed remotely ESXI 6.5, it acquired automatically the fixed IP our hosting provided us, and we can connect remotely with no problems via ESXI web plugin.

We can create different VMs, but can't connect them to the web/outside world.

Ideally, we would like to setup this simple network scenario on ESXI but we don't know if its possible:

- The ESXI will provide DHCP for all running VMs in the range 192.168.1.2/254 (internal network for all VMs)

- The ESXI will provide gateway service, to support traffic flow from all VMs with outside world

- All VMs can connect automatically with other VMs running inside our server

Can this be implemented easily in ESXI 6.5?

If so, is there any simple tutorial that explains how to do it?

Thanks

Manuel Dias

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6 Replies
Wonlliv
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi Manuel,

if I get your question right it is a simple network configuration at the ESXi host.

Create a vSwitch where you add all the VMs into.

Also, ESXi is not capable of providing DHCP service, so you need to install at least one VM with a running DHCP service.

Best to look at the https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-65-networking-guide.pdf

and

Add a Standard Virtual Switch in the VMware Host Client

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Chris

www.hyper-converged.com
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mamdias
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your quick answer!

My ESXI already has a default vSwitch:

pastedImage_1.png

Do I need to add another or can I use this default?

About the DHCP, in fact since we need only 4 VMs, thus we can assign fixed IPs (192.168.1.2 to 5) and avoid this DHCP server...

Where can I configure this internal net 192.168.1.XXX? Is it in the additional vSwitch?

The link you sent is very technical and complex to understand...

Do you know any simple tutorial that can explain this config scenario for a ESXI newbie 🙂

Manuel Dias

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Wonlliv
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi Manuel,

first you need to make sure that you have an uplink added to the vSwitch.

Than you can add portgroups to the vSwitch ( for example: rightclick on "Networking - Add Portgroup" ) to which you can add the virtual machines ( rightclick the VM - Setting - Networking - Choose the network using the pull down menu)

Best regards,

Chris

www.hyper-converged.com
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Jitu211003
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hi,

As per my understanding, you have one ISP providing you the service for access your VMs via Internet.

1. There must be a DHCP configured on any VMs withing your internal network. If you already have setup configured on another VMs on to another host or in some cases, ISP also provides the DHCP service to your personal enviornment. if it is so, please get in touch with your ISP.

2. You have been given a fixed IP by your ISP and that is picked by your host automatically that simply says that your ISP have setup DHCP somewhere on his device may be on router itself.

In that case your VM would also pick the NAT IPs from the ISP directly.

You just need to make sure that you have all your VMs connected to any of your vswitch having uplink added on it. Also check for VLAN if running on any specific VLAN.

Thanks

Vmwarediary.com

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a_p_
Leadership
Leadership

Welcome to the Community,

disregarding the security aspect (i.e. making your ESXi host directly accessible from the Internet is risky), you will need at least one more public IP address for the virtual machines. The first (existing) IP address is in use for ESXi, and therefore cannot be used for VMs. With a second IP address, you may setup a virtual router/firewall VM (s.th. like pfSense) with two virtual network interfaces. One connected to the Internet "WAN", and another on connected to a host-only vSwitch with the VMs "LAN".

The suggested setup will look like this:

vSwitch0: VMkernel Port Group "Management Network" (with physical uplink)

vSwitch1: Virtual Machine Port Group "WAN" (with physical uplink)

vSwitch2: Virtual Machine Port Group "LAN" (no physical uplinks)

The router/firewall VM will be connected to both "WAN" and "LAN" and do the NATting between your internal 192.168.x.x "LAN" network, and the Internet "WAN".

André

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Gavis4569
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

If you have only one public IP and you want to access management interface AND virtual machines, you need to configure network address translation on some virtual machine that will server as a WAN gateway.

In this case WAN gateway VM will have two network interfaces, one is connected to Public internet (with public IP from your ISP) and second one is for your LAN. Then you can configure NAT services on the WAN gateway to allow you to connecte either to internal management of the ESXi as well to the production virtual machines.

vmtn.png

Martin Gavanda https://martingavanda.com https://learnvmware.online
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